Bittersweet Victory
by Daring Dashwood
Summary: Mello beats Near, but in a way he never wished for. One-shot;character death. Implied NearxMello.


Bittersweet Victory

Disclaimer-I do not and never will own the awesomeness that is Death Note.

Summary-Picks up smack in the middle of chapter 77. I had this random idea and couldn't get it out of my head-what if Near had been murdered by Kira in front of Mello? One-shot Mello x Near if you want to see it that way.

A few trifle things have been changed to suit my needs. I have no idea how Raito found out Near's name, just go with it.

Spoilers for real names.

Rated T for Mello's colorful vocabulary.

--

Mello glared heatedly at the small white clothed boy in front of him as he cocked his gun.

"I'm not a tool for you to use to solve the puzzle, Near."

The emotionless boy did not reply; his subordinates once more pointing their own guns at the irate blonde. Near turned toward the tense situation, and while absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair between his fingers, he commanded in his normal monotone voice, "Commander Rester, don't make me repeat myself, please lower your gun."

The small boy finally raised his head to meet the angry ice blue eyes of his proclaimed rival, his own stormy eyes betraying no emotion he felt, as usual. Mello had a jagged burn mark marring his face; however, that didn't surprise Near; as he had heard of the explosion Mello had put himself in.

Near fiddled a little with a nearby robot. Despite his mask, he was unbelievably glad that Mello hadn't been hurt worse, or even died, for that matter.

The albino boy gave a soft sigh. This whole rivalry between the two was ridiculous, it was blatantly obvious that if they combined their powers; Mello, with his brash attitude but wasn't afraid to just _do _and ties to the mafia; Near, with his calm reason that could set up and intricate plan without fault but lacking any skills in situations which called for socializing.

In other words, the perfect team. If the two could put their differences aside and work together on the Kira Case, they would have had the bastard behind bars by now. By no means would Mello ever consider working with Near, so he stopped mulling over nonsense to continue his utterly insensitive conversation with the fuming blonde.

"Mello, if you want to shoot me-?!" Before he could finish his sentence, an exceedingly massive pain seized his heart, and he clutched at the pajamas covering the said organ, all of his features scrunched up in mortal agony, something no one would've ever suspected to come from him.

_No…how did they find out my name?! _ He could faintly see his beloved robot slipping out of his grasp and falling to the floor with a piercing clatter, and felt himself about to do the same.

It felt as if time had come to a complete standstill-as if someone had pressed pause on their lives, as Near fell, much like his person of admiration, L, had also fallen. Not one person in the room-Gevanni, Rester, Hal, or even Mello-had had the power in them to conquer the despairing disbelief that had them all in a vice grip, asphyxiating them.

The near suffocating incredulity vanished, and motion once again returned to the remaining SPK and Near's rival.

Mello's features transformed into those of raw and terrified understanding, his whole system freezing for a fraction of a second before he propelled his legs foreword and ran towards the collapsing boy as one with the rest of the SPK, all the while mentally pleading this wasn't what he knew it was.

The blonde picked the dying boy up; cradling Near's shaking frame in his arms. Near was short of breath, but his mouth was uselessly trying to form words; specifically, to tell Mello something of dire importance.

_Is this what it feels like to die?_

Lub-dub.

After what seemed like centuries, Near lifted on pale, shaking hand to brush his fingertips across Mello's scar. "M-mihael……you've f-finally…" A small smile flitted across Near's face, and Mello, or rather, Mihael watched him, stunned into silence. "…won. You've b-beaten…Nate River…"

Lub-dub.

There were many things Mello wanted to scream, cry, plead to the boy about, but his mouth would not obey him; it hung on his face agape and useless, and his azure eyes shedding tears for the first time since L's death-and over his rival, for that matter.

Lub-dub.

Likewise, Near had many things to tell Mello…but his thoughts never reached his lips. By then his whole body had begun to slow, and anything outside of thought was out of the question. Something was wrong with his ears-he kept hearing the sound of church bells.

Lub……..dub.

…_..It seems as if the Kira Case is in your hands now…I wasn't able enough….don't get Matt killed. _

_Don't cry, Mello. I am not a being who deserves such kindness. _

_Lub………_

All background noises; of Gevanni and Rester screaming Near's name while Hal sobbed into her sleeve and the computers beeped signaling that 'L' wanted to speak with them; ceased to exist, Mello's entire being solely focused on Nate as the boy's breathing stilled, his thudding heart slowing until the beating itself stopped, and his glazed and resigned cobalt eyes gradually slid shut for the final time.

Mello started shaking the prone figure. "Dammit Near, this isn't funny! Y-you fucking idiot! How the hell am I ever supposed to beat you if you die on me, damn you! Is this what you wanted, to make me always second until the very end?! Wake up, Near! Wake the fuck up, Nate River!!"

As you would expect, there was no reply from Nate River, the true successor of Lawliet himself, the white haired boy's ashen face lolling to the side as Mello frantically shook him.

Mello, realizing what he was doing, shrieked out Near's name in such a sorrowful and heartbroken way, a sound that would forever be committed to the memories of those present.

--

A lone figure clad in black leather got out of a crimson, bullet filled car, bearing two bouquets of flowers; one white daffodils, the other blood red roses.

Placing them on the respected graves, he murmured silently, as if the two were in front of him, "Nate…Mail…I got 'em for you. I killed the bastard Raito Yagami myself. It was just as you said, Nate, it was the current 'L' that was Kira all along. The Death Notes have all either been burned or returned to the respected shinigamis. It's…finished."

_It's bittersweet eh, Near? I have finally beaten you…I've caught Kira and lived longer than you…_

It had begun to rain, at first a light pitter patter, in minutes it was an all out storm, the rain and wind whipping off Mello's hood. Oblivious to all, he tilted his head to the sky.

"Can you hear the bells…?"

-end-

Dunno; I just felt like writing this, I'm on a current Death Note hype; I just got the Los Angeles BB Case and I'm lovin' it.

I wrote this whole simple one-shot all last night, but my parents made me go to bed before I could put it up on ffnet.

In case you couldn't tell, the 'Lub-dub' was Near's beating heart.

-Bleu-Blizzard-


End file.
